Is the Democratic Party Caught in a Poetic Socialist Trance?

We all remember the tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin who led the village’s spell-bound children onto a mountain where they disappeared. 

Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez the Socialist Pied Piper leading the Democratic Party into oblivion?

Certainly, the twenty-nine year old first term member of Congress has some sort of spell-binding powers.

How else can one explain the many Democrats lining up behind the far left wing presentation of Ms. Ocasio-Cortez’s which will be disastrous for America and doom its supporters?

The “Green New Deal” announced in early February by the new Congresswoman, with a backdrop of much older – but certainly not wiser – fellow Democrats is a fairy tale one would expect from the Wicked Witch of the East or some other villain dwelling in the world of make-believe:

          *Abolish oil consumption

          *Guaranteed employment (but not with compensation dependent on fossil fuel)

          *High-speed electric rail and roadways to replace oil consuming vehicles (you want to fly to Europe?  take a sail boat, instead)

          *Medicare for all – you’ll be able to pay for it with your guaranteed job.

 Who is this modern Pied Piper?  On paper, she’s tremendously ill-equipped to lead anyone anywhere.

She does hold a Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston University with majors in international relations and economics.

But since graduating in 2011, her work experience hardly prepared her for her new role.  She held a variety of jobs ranging from serving as an “educational strategist”, bartender and organizer for Bernie Sander’s presidential campaign in 2016.

So what?  She ran for Congress in 2018, is a member of Democratic Socialists of America and besides trumpeting the Green New Deal, favors free college, higher taxes on the wealthy and elimination of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agency.

She’s also articulate, attractive and enthusiastic in manner.

So for her Democratic followers – and they are becoming legion – what’s not to love?

Among those in line behind Ms. Ocasio-Cortez as she heads toward oblivion are many prominent Democrats, including:

                   2020 Presidential candidates, so far, Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren

                    New York Times columnist Paul Krugman

    
                   Massachusetts Senator Ed Mendez

                    Bernie Sanders, the Socialist “Independent” who challenged Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries.

                   There are many others following the piper but Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr. of the Hip Hop Caucus deserves special mention.  Dancing with the tune is particularly memorable.

 Those entranced by the left-wing piper as they stretch along behind her would do well to ponder what happened to those trailing the Pied Piper.  As recited in Robert Browning’s famous poem about the legend:

                       “THEY WERE NEVER HEARD FROM AGAIN”.

 Alas, TSC must confess to some wishful thinking.